Sunday, March 13, 2022

Climate and the city: The grave threat to cities from climate change demands urgent solutions

The construction building material impacts the environment as most cities use concrete material and steel that absorbs heat. The use of sustainable materials in the construction of spaces or constructing a water body indoors can help.

March 13, 2022

Urban heat islands often amplify the impacts of heat waves in cities. But urban greening is often explained as a solution to tackle heat waves or floods

The latest UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is an alarming assessment on the impacts of global warming of 1.5 degree C above pre-industrial levels and related global greenhouse gas emissions. While coastal cities are facing the highest climate risks as sea-levels rise, inner lands are not far behind. “I’ve seen many scientific reports in my time, but nothing like this,” said UN secretary-general António Guterres during a press conference unveiling the report this year. It is a “damning indictment of failed climate leadership,” he added.

Since urban heat islands often amplify the impacts of heat waves in cities, this is a common phenomenon and a predictable hazard. It has impacted health and cities’ infrastructures. Heat waves accelerated last year. In August, Spain had set a new provisional heat record of 47.2 degrees C. Despite the heat, the locals in a town of about 1,400 people, Algar in southern Spain, enjoyed their evenings outside their homes. Portland and Seattle in the US experienced temperatures above 40 degrees C. Like most European cities, especially Athens, the heat wave dampened the tourist season. The Greek capital became the first in Europe to appoint a chief heat officer, following Miami, which announced the first person to hold the position in May.

However, urban greening is often explained as a solution to tackle heat waves or floods through green and natural urban spaces, community gardens, green corridors, etc. The construction building material impacts the environment as most cities use concrete material and steel that absorbs heat. The use of sustainable materials in the construction of spaces or constructing a water body indoors can help. Most architectural designs have switched to exteriors utilising organic elements like verdant vertical gardens, large windows and ventilated buildings.

According to findings by the Washington-based US Green Building Council, buildings alone consist of around 41% of the global energy use. Concrete can be replaced with the use of alternate construction materials like hempcrete, a mixture of hemp hurds and lime, a lightweight insulating material ideal for most climates as it combines insulation and thermal mass. Recycled scrap steel, ideal for eco-building construction, can be used for beams, girders and other structural components. It reduces the energy impact by 75%. Solar tiles help generate power for the building’s inhabitants and protect the roof top from the sun. Paper-based insulation, made from recycled newspapers and cardboard, is a superior alternative to chemical foams as it is insect-resistant. Bamboo can be used in unseen elements behind the walls for tenacity.

While there is adaptive reuse of doors and recycled wood to eliminate toxic construction waste, rainwater harvesting and percolation pits help in regulating the water consumption of a structure. Breathable walls have become imperative as technological solutions such as titanium dioxide coating, biodynamic cement, bentonite clay help filter out air pollutants in the micro climate. Bio-dynamic concrete panels use sunlight to catalyse chemical reactions and convert nitrogen oxide and sulphur dioxide into inert salts. Such materials are not prohibitively expensive and add as little as 4-5% to construction costs.

Corporate initiatives like the Mahindra-TERI Centre Excellence help bridge the gap in publicly available data, tools and guidelines to support the development of green buildings in India. Mahindra Lifespaces, the real estate and infrastructure development arm of the Mahindra Group, and The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) published key findings from five years of research on resource-efficient buildings, materials and technologies tailored to Indian climates and conditions. The research focuses on standardisation and measurement of building materials. More than 150 new and existing materials have been tested for their thermal properties. This will support reduced energy consumption in buildings, enable improved user comfort and wellbeing, besides the design of buildings and homes. “The real estate industry can play a critical role in meeting SDG commitments and crafting buildings designed for user well-being,” says Arvind Subramanian, MD & CEO, Mahindra Lifespace Developers.

Making cities safer and liveable for citizens while reducing emissions, Honeywell has partnered with software firm Trinity, to deliver integrated solutions for smart cities. For instance, aggregating information from traffic, environment, parking, emergency services, safety and security, and utilities to enhance efficiency of cities, and large planned residential communities.

Ingenuity still “as good as new” after nearly a year on Mars

by Jeff Foust — March 12, 2022

WASHINGTON — After nearly a year of operations, NASA’s Ingenuity Mars helicopter is still “as good as new” as it serves as a scout for the Perseverance rover.

NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory announced March 11 that Ingenuity completed its 21st flight on the planet, traveling 370 meters during the 129-second flight. The helicopter has now traveled more than 4.6 kilometers since its first flight in April 2021.

Ingenuity was developed as a technology demonstration, with an original plan of no more than five flights over a month. The excellent performance of the 1.8-kilogram helicopter, though, led NASA to extend its mission, using it as a scout to examine terrain ahead of the Perseverance rover that carried Ingenuity to Mars.

The information Ingenuity has provided has created some modest time savings for Perseverance. “It’s certainly shaved several sols, maybe a week, off of the time frame of the rover by having this advanced information,” said Matt Golombek, a senior research scientist at JPL who has been involved with Mars landers dating back to Mars Pathfinder, during a March 8 media briefing at the Lunar and Planetary Sciences Conference. A sol is a Martian day, about 40 minutes longer than a terrestrial day.

Other scientists involved with Perseverance agreed that Ingenuity has been useful. “I was really impressed with how well it worked and how useful it’s been,” said Justin Simon, a planetary scientist at NASA’s Johnson Space Center who works on the Perseverance mission, during a conference session March 7. “I don’t think that was fully anticipated, at least by myself.”

Keyron Hickman-Lewis of the U.K.’s Natural History Museum, another Perseverance scientist, said at that conference session that Ingenuity has been particularly helpful as Perseverance negotiated a region called Séítah. “The terrain is not optimal for a rover,” he said of the region. “These insights have been invaluable.”

That work will continue as Perseverance heads in the coming weeks to the remnants of a river delta. “The intent is to keep the helicopter out in front of the rover to provide advance information that would help in its exploration,” Golombek said. That includes scouting paths the rover could take into the delta and identifying rocks for the rover to study with its instrument suite.

Ingenuity itself has shown no signs of wear and tear after nearly a year of flying on Mars. “So far, we have found no degradation or loss of anything on the helicopter. It is as good as new,” he said.

The helicopter, which uses solar power, also has no consumables to limit its life. “There’s nothing consumable and nothing to stop us from continuing to operate as long as the helicopter remains healthy,” he said, with the expectation Ingenuity will continue operations until something finally breaks.

That performance is all the more noteworthy, he added, because of the use of commercial off-the-shelf parts that had been previously qualified for space on Ingenuity, rather than customized components. “It is rather remarkable that we’ve had no degradation or loss of any aspect of the helicopter,” he said.

Golombek said the performance of Ingenuity demonstrates how useful such helicopters could be in future exploration, although NASA has no firm plans currently for additional helicopter missions. “The idea of a technology demo is to demonstrate that here is a new way to explore Mars,” he said. “Ingenuity has shown the promise of this sort of way to continue our exploration of the red planet.”

Earth May Have a Nearby Twin. Here's What It Could Look Like

Scientists imagine α-Cen Earth would have water, graphite, a ton of diamonds... and maybe life?

Monisha Ravisetti
March 11, 2022

This artist's impression shows a close-up view of Proxima d, a planet candidate recently found orbiting the red dwarf star Proxima Centauri, the closest star to the Solar System and part of Alpha Centauri.

ESO/L. Calçada

It may feel like Earth is alone at times, but the opposite is true. Approximately 10,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 (more than a septillion) planets call the cosmos home, and that figure doesn't even include all the rogue, starless ones.

Of course, a bunch are likely coated in wacky radioactive chemicals, made of pure gas or subject to scorching magma oceans -- but still, something like 300 million are expected to orbit sun-like stars, lie in their system's habitable zone, and if any are rocky, even resemble Earth. And another Earth might mean another lifeform.

If we're lucky, one of these Earth-twin contenders could be living a mere four light-years away, in our neighboring three-star system, Alpha Centauri. Holding onto that hope, scientists published a paper Thursday in The Astrophysical Journal that paints a fascinating picture of what such an alternate world might look like. If it's really there, that is.

The team calls it α-Cen Earth.

Based on data of what we know about Alpha Centauri, the researchers used numerical models -- some of which are pioneering for the field -- to create and measure a hypothetical, rocky, Earth-sized planet in the system's habitable zone. This region is basically the spot in a star system most likely to possess water and have "just right" conditions for life. For that reason, it's adorably deemed the "Goldilocks zone." Not too hot, not too cold, just right.

This illustration compares the Trappist-1 star system and the three planets in its habitable zone (in green) with our own solar system. NASA/JPL-Caltech

Strikingly, their models suggested α-Cen Earth would be pretty similar to our own planet. It'd have a mantle, or middle layer, dominated by silicates, and an interior with as much water storage capacity as Earth. The "other" Earth, however, might be a little more sparkly: A ton of graphite and diamonds, the study says, might be hanging out in its mantle alongside regular rocks.

But most surprisingly, and perhaps even most promisingly, the simulated α-Cen Earth appeared to exhibit an early atmosphere akin to Earth's during the Archaean eon, around 4 billion to 2.5 billion years ago. That's when life first emerged on our planet in the form of microbes.

On the flip side, though, α-Cen Earth would differ from normal Earth, the study says, because it'd likely have an iron core slightly larger than ours and a surface that doesn't abide by the theory of plate tectonics. This idea suggests Earth's surface is made of movable puzzle pieces which dictate how continents and oceans are arranged.

All things considered, the team's new study offers much more than a sneak peek into Earth No. 2. It serves as a stepping stone, both physically and metaphorically, for future exoplanet exploration. Not only do these models pave the way for understanding star-planet connections key in detecting habitability, but they also serve as a timely reminder that there are so many worlds are out there, just waiting for us to find them.

Lately, such a notion has been heating up with research into hyperspeed space sails that promise to take us to other star systems at 20% the speed of light -- we'd be able to reach Alpha Centauri in just 20 years with the devices -- and the trailblazing launch of the James Webb Space Telescope.

Though Webb has several astrophysical missions, a major one aims to search for habitable exoplanet atmospheres near sun-like stars. Just maybe, one day, it'll find the real second Earth.

First published on March 11, 2022

Can be a problem if...: Indian scientist explains Omicron + Delta recombinant virus

Recombinant virus is a hybrid version of the coronavirus that combine genes from the Delta and Omicron variants1 min read .

Updated: 12 Mar 2022,

Livemint

Maybe delta variant is already gone and it is largely Omicron most of the places so that also reduces the chance of recombining, expert said

With several studies providing solid evidence regarding Omicron + Delta recombinant virus, an eminent Indian expert suggested that it is still difficult to understand how the recombinant virus of this kind can come up and indicated that the virus ‘needs more careful study’. Meanwhile, World Health Organisation (WHO) has already declared that with Omicron and Delta circulating widely, the emergence of an ‘recombinant virus’ is possible.

Can be a problem: Expert on recombinant virus

"But if not the real recombinant virus, even Omicron is sufficiently potent. And if some mutations by chance come … that will be a big problem," Director of Tata Institute for Genetics and Society (TIGS), Bengaluru, Dr Rakesh Mishra, told news agency ANI.

“Maybe delta variant is already gone and it is largely Omicron most of the places so that also reduces the chance of recombining."

But both things have to be reasonably comparable numbers to get a chance that the same person has both infections. It is largely Omicron because everybody's getting infected. So it is closed 99% of most places, so the recombinant has not so much a problem but by itself, the virus has been changing," he further told ANI.

What is the recombinant virus?

A recent study by Philippe Colson of IHU Mediterranee Infection in Marseille, France and his team found the first solid evidence for the recombinant virus.

It is a hybrid version of the coronavirus that combine genes from the Delta and Omicron variants, Colson said adding, “genetic recombinations of coronaviruses have been known to happen when two variants infect the same host cells."

So far, 17 confirmed cases of the recombinant virus have been detected so far in the US and Europe. Three patients in France infected with a version of SARS-CoV-2 that combines the spike protein from an Omicron variant with the "body" of a Delta variant.

Another two unrelated Deltacron infections have been identified in the United States, according to an unpublished report by genetics research company Helix that has been submitted to medRxiv and seen by Reuters.

Because there have been so few confirmed cases, it is too soon to know whether Deltacron infections will be very transmissible or cause severe disease, Colson asserted.

WEAR YOUR MASK AVOID THE FLU

COVID-19 restrictions may have lowered mortality rates for other respiratory illnesses, says study

Should COVID-19 preventative measures prove to be effective in lowering numbers of other respiratory disease-related deaths as well, the burden placed on healthcare systems could be reduced.

By SHIRA SILKOFF
Published: MARCH 13, 2022

Cars line up at a drive-through COVID-19 testing center in Ganey Taaruha Tel Aviv, on January 3, 2022.
(photo credit: AVSHALOM SASSONI/FLASH90)

More than two years have passed since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the requirement to wear face masks remains one of the most talked about public health measures.

As restrictions and requirements are rolled back across the world, and people begin to return to their old lives, a new study examined the impact face masks and other requirements had on respiratory illnesses besides COVID-19.

The study, which has yet to undergo peer review, was first published on March 11 by The Conversation website and was conducted by frontline healthcare workers in Canada.

The research group analyzed whether selective, non-mandated use of public health measures, including mask wearing and social distancing, should remain in place even though COVID-19 is no longer considered a pandemic.

Decreased demand for urgent-care services

At the start of the pandemic in March 2020, there was a dramatic decrease in the demand for urgent healthcare services, said lead author Rutvij A. Khanolkar, citing a June 2021 study from Alberta, Canada. The study found there were 94,059 hospital admissions and emergency-room visits in Alberta between March-September 2019, but that during the same time period one year later, there were 83,167.

The decrease in numbers originally was attributed to lockdown measures and the fear of entering a healthcare setting in a nonemergency situation. But the number of urgent-care visits for non-COVID-19-related respiratory diseases continued to decline even as public health measures were relaxed and other healthcare services reported an increase of patients.

COVID-19 rapid antigen test (credit: PIXABAY)

The research group then widened its analysis to include admissions data across all of Canada. The collected data showed that hospital admissions for major respiratory illnesses dropped sharply in the year following the start of the first lockdown.

“Specifically, flare-ups of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a severe lung disease related to long-term smoking, and community-acquired non-COVID-19 pneumonia decreased by nearly 40 percent across Canada” following the introduction of mask requirements and social distancing, Khanolkar wrote.

An additional research paper published last August examined the hospital admissions data from across nine different countries and corroborated these results, showing a 50% reduction in COPD admissions after the onset of the pandemic.

A reduced burden on healthcare systems

According to a 2017 report published by the Forum of International Respiratory Societies, around three million people worldwide die of COPD every year, making it the third-leading cause of death globally.

Should COVID-19 preventative measures prove to be effective in lowering numbers of other respiratory disease-related deaths as well, the burden placed on healthcare systems could be significantly reduced.

Therefore, it might be beneficial for public officials to take these statistics into account before dispensing with COVID-19 measures entirely, the report said.

“The fact that hospitalizations for non-COVID-19 respiratory illnesses have remained low, despite the relaxation of stringent lockdown measures, suggests that these benefits may be sustained with the use of masking and practices such as frequent hand-washing,” Khanolkar wrote.

However, the research currently available surrounding the subject is minimal and largely observational, he said. Further studies would need to be conducted through randomized trials to get a clearer picture of the impact COVID-19 restrictions have on other respiratory illnesses, he added.

“It’s also unknown whether reductions in acute care use have translated into a reduction in mortality rates for specific conditions,” Khanolkar wrote.

Further research

To this end, a research group has begun addressing the limitations of the observational study.

A study of more than 500,000 patients is currently underway, the preliminary results of which will be presented at the 2022 American Thoracic Society International Conference in May. The available data from the study has indicated that preventative measures, such as face masks, are proving to be an effective strategy for preventing both urgent-care visits and respiratory illness-related mortality.

“Recommendations, policies or, if deemed necessary, mandates can be amended in the future as new evidence emerges,” Khanolkar wrote. “Until then, [mask] use, even on an interim basis, may reduce the strain on our healthcare system and help protect the most vulnerable members of our society.”

Spectacular images of space phenomena snapped by amateur astrophotographer

The Pleiades, also known as The Seven Sisters, Messier 45, and other names, is an asterism and an open star cluster containing middle-aged, hot B-type stars in the north-west of the constellation Taurus. (Credit: Bryan Shaw / SWNS)

ASTRONOMY

MARCH 12, 2022

by Study Finds

SCOTLAND — Fascinating space research can be achieved right in your own backyard no matter how well-versed you are in astronomy. All you need is a stellar telescope to catch a light show like no other to learn about what lies outside our planet. One space fan in Scotland captured jaw-dropping visions of the galaxy – all from the comfort of his back garden.

Bryan Shaw, 28, spends hours tracking the night sky to produce stunning images of nebulas and star clusters many light years away. He sets up his specialized telescope at his home in New Cumnock, a town in East Ayrshire, and focuses on his far-off subjects.

The Broadcast Production student has also captured beautiful landscape images featuring aurora and views of the Milky Way. Highlights of his work include the Orion Nebula, around 1,344 light years from Earth; and the Rosette Nebula, an open star cluster with rose-like cosmic clouds of gas and dust.

The Rosette Nebula, an open star cluster with rose-like cosmic clouds of gas and dust. Click to enlarge. (Credit: Bryan Shaw / SWNS)

Along with star watching, Bryan juggles his time at the University of the West of Scotland.

“I’ve been fascinated by the stars from a young age. I’ve never had the ability or skills to actually deep dive into them myself until recently, which has really kicked my passions for photography and more advanced techniques into overdrive,” he tells South West News Service. “With my equipment I can shoot from anywhere; it’s fully portable and I have filters which allows me to shoot through variant extents of light pollution. A lot of these specific images were all shot from within my garden.”

The Andromeda Galaxy, also known as Messier 31, M31, or NGC 224 and originally the Andromeda Nebula, is a barred spiral galaxy approximately 2.5 million light-years from Earth and the nearest large galaxy to the Milky Way. Click to enlarge. (Credit: Bryan Shaw / SWNS)

“I capture the images through my telescope, which has been upgraded to include special equipment such as dedicated astronomy cameras, focusers, field flatteners and filter drawers attached to a big heavy computerized mount to help with accurate and precise tracking of the night sky for long exposure images,” he continues.

The Horsehead and Flame nebula — The Horsehead (The Dark Nebula known as Barnard 33) and Flame Nebula are a group of Nebula located around 1375 Light Years from us which are all within the Orion Constellation. Click to enlarge. (Credit: Bryan Shaw / SWNS)

“In order for one of these images, the most necessary thing is a way to track the night sky precisely and accurately. You have to take various amounts of images, which are sometimes up to 600 seconds, which if not accurately tracked are just blurs of light,” says Shaw. “From there, I stack all the images from that target with calibration images, which are also shot at the same time to repair any vignetting or lens defects, to help bring out the details that are impossible to see by the naked eye.

“I then finally bring the photo to life with tweaks in various editing software to show the colors and details.”

“The most recent images and skillsets are being put to use for my final project for University, which is an astrophotography project in a multi-platform structure for various visual and social platforms,” he adds.

Continue scrolling down below to see more of Shaw’s spectacular photographs. Click to enlarge them.

Milky Way over a Scottish landscape. (Credit: Bryan Shaw / SWNS)

Gibbous moon (Credit: Bryan Shaw / SWNS).

Whirlpool galaxy. (Credit: Bryan Shaw / SWNS)

Aurora over Scottish landscape. (Credit: Bryan Shaw / SWNS)

The Elephant's Trunk Nebula — The Elephant’s Trunk Nebula is a concentration of interstellar gas and dust within the much larger ionized gas region IC 1396 located in the constellation Cepheus about 2,400 light years away from Earth. (Credit: Bryan Shaw / SWNS)

The Orion Nebula is a diffuse nebula situated in the Milky Way, being south of Orion’s Belt in the constellation of Orion. It is one of the brightest nebulae and is visible to the naked eye in the night sky. (Credit: Bryan Shaw / SWNS)

Bryan Shaw's back garden telescope set-up — Bryan’s back garden telescope set-up. (Credit: Bryan Shaw / SWNS)

IF DRUGS ARE BANNED AS PERFORMANCE ENHANCERS WHAT ABOUT FOOT TECHNOLOGY

Controversial Nike Vaporfly running shoes slash female athletes’ personal best times more than men’s

EXERCISE, SPORTS, WOMEN

MARCH 12, 2022

by Study Finds

MONACO — New state-of-the-art running shoes have enabled female elite long-distance athletes to improve their personal best times more than male athletes, research reveals. Top runners, particularly women, have reduced their best times by up to three percent since the introduction of the controversial Nike “advanced shoe technology” five years ago, according to the findings.

When Nike introduced the shoes in 2017, the question arose whether the new design would significantly affect performances in professional sports. The study finds that the footwear did indeed reduce running times for elite competitors.

Researchers analyzed seasonal best times for elite male and female runners over three race distances — ten kilometers, half-marathon, and marathon races — between 2012 and 2019. They found a statistically significant decrease in race times after 2017, which coincided with the premiere of the Nike Vaporfly 4% shoe.

Female athletes appeared to gain the most benefit from the new design, which features a thicker, lighter foam and a rigid plate along the midsole. Their seasonal best times between 2016 and 2019 decreased anywhere from 1.7 to 2.3 percent, compared to 0.6 to 1.5 percent for the men. For example, the new shoe technology improved women’s marathon times by about two minutes and ten seconds, a 1.7 percent boost in performance.

“As far as chronometric performance is concerned, it is in our opinion a major advancement,” says study lead author Dr. Stéphane Bermon, director of the World Athletics Health and Science Department in Monaco, in a statement. He says the mechanics behind the improvements in performance remain something of a mystery.

Why are Nike Vaporfly running shoes controversial?

Dr. Bermon explains that one advantage of the new shoe technology is that it uses the latest generation of lightweight foam in the midsole, which provides the runner with a higher energy return. The embedded stiff plate in the midsole also contributes to maximizing energy return in each step: The shoe works to propel the runner forward with a little less effort.

The statistical gender gap was unexpected, Bermon admits. One advantage could come down to weight differences between the sexes. “Women are lighter and could possibly benefit more from the enhanced rebound effect achieved by the foam/stiff plate combination. Their slightly different running pattern, compared to men, could represent a more favorable condition for this footwear technology to play its ergogenic role,” he says.

A statistical analysis conducted in 2018 had already suggested a three to four percent decrease in half marathon and marathon race times based on hundreds of thousands of self-reported results. However, the present study was the first to look at the top seasonal best times for elite athletes.

While the research included a majority of results from East African runners, including Ethiopian and Kenyan athletes, who have come to dominate the sport, the study notes that non-East-African elite runners enjoyed similar improvements in performance. “These results confirm that advanced footwear technology has benefits to the elite male and female distance runners,” Dr. Bermon says.

“Whether this technology will be banned or simply controlled, as it is currently, is still to be decided by World Athletics,” he adds. He says further research is needed to understand whether mass adoption of the new footwear by both recreational and elite runners causes more or fewer injuries.

The study is published in the journal Frontiers in Sports and Active Living.

SWNS writer Stephen Beech contributed to this report.

End of the office? 1 in 3 won’t consider a new job unless they can work remotely

SOCIETY & CULTURE, WORKPLACE

7 HOURS AGOby Chris Melore

NEW YORK — The pandemic has fundamentally changed the American workweek, a new study reveals. In fact, only one in 15 remote workers expects to be back in an office for five days a week.

In a recent survey of 2,000 fully remote or hybrid-remote employees, more than a third (35%) say they wouldn’t even consider a new job unless it includes the option to work remotely.

Don’t fix what’s not broken

More than three-quarters have found simple pleasures in working from the comfort of their home. That includes more frequent coffee or snack breaks (54%), extra time with family (51%), the casual dress code (50%), and more comfortable seating (50%).

Conducted by OnePoll on behalf of Rippling, the survey also finds that more workers still prefer some time in an office. In all, 39 percent preferring a hybrid work environment, compared to 24 percent who prefer working completely remote.

While employees in tech or computer science are the most excited for a hybrid role (50%) however, arts and entertainment employees would rather be completely in-office (54%).

Future Work

Remote work isn’t always rosy

Despite the benefits and comforts of remote work that many respondents cited, it does come with challenges. The remote environment has made it more challenging for people to communicate with their co-workers and manager (48%), have their work recognized by their peers (44%), and maintain a work-life balance (44%).

These challenges can be particularly apparent when workers leave or start new roles remotely. This is important for employers in a tight market to consider, because eight in 10 remote workers believe they can predict whether they’ll like a new job based on the onboarding process.

Respondents identified some problems they’ve faced while starting and onboarding with a new job from afar. Seven in 10 find it a hassle to obtain the necessary software and office equipment, and the same amount say getting to know their co-workers and manager is now more difficult.

Employees who’ve transitioned to a new team within the same company have also faced difficulties, including staying in touch with their former colleagues and manager (70%).

“For the foreseeable future, companies will need to find ways to support a distributed workforce, but it’s still a heavy lift for many organizations. For example, oftentimes companies struggle to onboard a remote employee, whether it’s sending them a computer or enrolling them in the proper benefits,” says Rippling’s VP of Human Resources Christine Maxwell in a statement. “This survey makes clear that companies need to adapt and find modern solutions to support their workforce.”

Future Work

What do employees want?

The Great Resignation has brought on great expectations for people in the workforce, with seven in 10 employees revealing they expect reimbursement for certain expenses. More than a third expect to be reimbursed for office furniture, and half would expect the company to pay for additional software that facilitates remote working.

“Companies must continue to adjust to this new normal and catch up to the new needs within a business. It’s a struggle for companies to simply collect a laptop when a remote employee departs the company. That didn’t exist when everyone was in the office five days a week,” adds Maxwell.

“Today businesses can automatically store, ship and retrieve employee computers with a click of a button. There are dozens of different problems that you can easily automate, and taken together, improve the experience for your employees and make a significant impact on the business.”

TAGS: JOBS, OFFICE WORKERS, REMOTE WORK, WORK

BONES FOR BONERS
ANCIENT HUMANS LOST THEIR PENIS BONE FOR A COUNTERINTUITIVE REASON

Penis bones are found in certain species of mammal, but not all.

MATILDA BRINDLE

ONE OF THE WEIRDEST and most wonderful products of evolution is the penis bone or baculum. The baculum is an extra-skeletal bone, which means it is not attached to the rest of the skeleton but instead floats daintily at the end of the penis. Depending on the animal, bacula range in size from under a millimeter to nearly a meter long, and in shape, varying from needle-like spines to fork-like prongs.

The walrus baculum, which could easily be mistaken for a 2ft-long club, is around 1/6th of its body length, whereas the diminutive centimeter-long baculum of the ring-tailed lemur is only around 1/40th of its body length.

Bacula is found in certain species of mammal, but not all. Most primate males have a baculum, so humans are rather an oddity in that they don’t have one. In a handful of extraordinary circumstances human males have formed bones in the soft tissue at the end of their penises, but this is a rare abnormality, rather than a baculum.

In a study published in 2016 in Proceedings of the Royal Society B, my colleague Kit Opie and I examined how the baculum developed in mammals by studying how it is distributed across different species in light of their pattern of descent (known as phylogenetics).

We showed that the baculum first evolved after placental and non-placental mammals split, around 145 million years ago, but before the most recent common ancestor of primates and carnivores evolved, around 95 million years ago. Our research also shows that the common ancestor of primates and carnivores had a baculum. This means that any species in these groups without a baculum, such as humans, must have lost it over the course of evolution.

So, why on Earth would an animal need a bone in its penis in the first place? Scientists have come up with a few theories as to why a baculum might be handy. In certain species, such as cats, a female’s body doesn’t release its eggs until she mates, and some argue that the baculum may help to stimulate females and trigger ovulation. Another, somewhat colorfully named, theory is the vaginal friction hypothesis. This essentially argues that the baculum acts as a shoehorn, enabling a male to overcome any friction and squeeze himself into a female.

Is that it?Shutterstock

Finally, it has been proposed that the baculum helps prolong intromission, otherwise known as vaginal penetration. Far from simply being a nice way to spend an afternoon, prolonging intromission like this is a way for a male to prevent a female from sneaking off and mating with anyone else before his sperm have had a chance to work their magic. This theory brings a whole new meaning to the term “cock-blocking”.

We found that, over the entire course of primate evolution, having a baculum was linked to longer intromission durations (anything over three minutes). On top of this, males of primate species with longer intromission durations tend to have far longer bacula than males of species where intromission is short.

Another interesting discovery was that males of species facing high levels of sexual competition for females have longer bacula than those facing lower levels of sexual competition.

But what about humans? If the penis bone is so important in competing for a mate and prolonging copulation, then why don’t we have one? Well, the short answer to that is that humans don’t quite make it into the “prolonged intromission” category. The average duration from penetration to ejaculation for human males is less than two minutes.

But bonobos only copulate for about 15 seconds at a time and they still have a baculum, even if it is very small (about 8mm). So what makes us different? It’s possible that this comes down to our mating strategies. Human males (generally) have minimal sexual competition as females typically only mate with one male at a time. Perhaps the adoption of this mating pattern, in addition to our short intromission duration, was the last straw for the baculum.

Scientists are only just beginning to piece together the function of this most unusual bone. What seems to be clear is that changes in the primate baculum are driven, at least partly, by a species’ mating strategy. The picture that seems to be emerging is that, under high levels of sexual competition, bigger is better when it comes to the penis bone.

This article was originally published on The Conversation by Matilda Brindle at UCL. Read the original article here.